


Saturated Souls

by Manuka



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser DLC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-20
Packaged: 2021-03-28 18:47:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30143970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manuka/pseuds/Manuka
Summary: Many things happen during the year following the dismantling of the Inquisition, especially for Cullen who doesn't know what “a normal life” means and struggles to fit in. Happily, the Inquisitor visits him often.Or: 5 times Aodren Lavellan visits Cullen +1 time Cullen goes to clan Lavellan
Relationships: Male Inquisitor/Cullen Rutherford, Male Lavellan/Cullen Rutherford
Comments: 3
Kudos: 6





	Saturated Souls

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to my dear Evil Keshi for proofreading 💜

The day had started quite as usual, as any other day since Cullen had arrived in South Reach at his elder sister’s, Mia. He had woken up with his mabari laying entirely on him, even though the animal knew perfectly he was forbidden to sleep on the bed, and snoring louder than a whole troop of fully grown Templars. After a tough negotiation with his hound, he had been able to get up, go to the kitchen to help with his niece and nephew’s breakfast, Lola and Louis, and prepare himself a cup of coffee while the kids were eating.

Then, Mia had given him an envelope, worry written on her face and a fearful look in her eyes.

“It arrived earlier. It’s from Skyhold,” she had said quietly.

Cullen had taken the letter with a small breath in, suddenly tense, and had opened it with slightly shaking fingers, even if he had no idea why he was trembling.

A few weeks had gone by since the official dismantling of the Inquisition. Despite Solas’ betrayal, Cassandra, Leliana and the Inquisitor –even though it wasn’t his title anymore- had decided to stay at Skyhold, at least until they could find something better. Cullen still felt bad for leaving, letting them deal with the monstrous amount of problems that had followed the events of the Exalted Council. His guilt never really vanished, even though he had sworn to take up arms for them should they ever need his help, for anything. Had the time come for this? So soon? Given Mia’s concerned look, she seemed to fear it was the case. To be honest, Cullen didn’t know if he was afraid to be called back to his comrades, to his friends.

The letter was written in a very neat handwriting, almost too neat. It couldn’t be from Cassandra then, nor from Leliana. Both could write properly, of course, but they usually had too much to say to pay attention to it and it usually ended in scrawly words.

Aodren, on the other hand, wasn’t used to writing and always took his time to do so. Cullen had already witnessed him write missives to his clan and he could clearly remember how focused he was when tracing the letters. The Inquisitor had explained him, one day they were chatting after a game of chess, that Dalish had an oral tradition rather than a written one, which had led to the loss of a lot of their culture and knowledge. As the Keeper’s apprentice, he knew how to read and write, but it was tiring for him.

The signature at the bottom of the paper confirmed his intuition: the letter was indeed from him.

“What does it say?”

Cullen had briefly looked up and met his sister’s eyes, and then had read the letter. A few times. Aodren had been evasive, but apparently he had some business near South Reach and offered to push on to visit him.

Annoyed by his stunned silence, Mia had grabbed the letter, read it quickly and let out a relieved sigh.

“Invite him for lunch!” she had said with a wide smile, her eyes sparkling now that she knew her brother didn’t have to leave.

Cullen had frowned slightly but Mia hadn’t even given him the opportunity to protest:

“We are absolutely _not_ letting your friend travel this far and not inviting him to rest. Don’t you want to see him again?” she had asked as he was silent.

The problem wasn’t seeing Aodren again, far from it. After all the time they spent together, after everything they went through, they became friends, dear friends even. They knew they could rely on each other, and Cullen would forever be grateful to him for helping him stop taking lyrium. To think that he had been close to sink back into it… Without the Inquisitor, he might have relapsed, admittedly for a good cause, but the sole idea still made him shiver with dread.

No, he would be more than pleased to see him again after all this time without proper news. The real problem was him. He had chosen to leave, to be selfish. No one blamed him, Cassandra and Aodren had even seemed happy for him, and yet… What would the Inquisitor think, seeing him being spoiled by his sister, while what was left of the Inquisition was such a mess?

“Yes, of course I do,” he had answered under the heavy gaze Mia had given him.

“Answer him, then!” she had smiled brightly. “I’m so happy and curious to meet one of your friends. The Inquisitor nonetheless!”

His sister had gone away after that, still chatting. But Cullen couldn’t pay attention, reading the letter once again. The day had started quite as usual, but Aodren’s upcoming arrival had made it better. He felt like they hadn’t seen each other for ages, as these past weeks at Mia’s had seemed surreal. It had been difficult not to put on his armour every morning and get rid of such an ingrained habit. No more reviewing troops, no more dealing with the fates of entire nations, no more official meetings or balls organized by Josephine… Instead, he helped making meals, he had long walks with his mabari in the surroundings, he played with the twins. Days were going by quickly, but at the end of each one of them, he had the sensation he was missing something, even if he had no idea what it could be. Yes, despite his fears, Aodren’s visit would certainly do him good. 

So, he had answered the Inquisitor, writing as best as he could. He knew the Dalish was used to read his reports, but as he had time, he could make the effort. The letter had left the very next morning, and since then, Mia had been so excited one could think she was the one greeting a dear friend. When the twins had learnt their uncle’s friend was an elf, and a Dalish one, they had been eager to ask questions about him and hadn’t stopped since then. Cullen had realised he knew very little about Dalish culture, except the few things Aodren had told him during their time at Haven and Skyhold. He answered their questions as best as he could, but the kids’ curiosity remained mainly unsatisfied.

Aodren arrived a few days later. Mia had shooed away her brother and her children: Louis and Lola were so excited they couldn’t sit down and she needed space to make lunch. The three of them had decided to wait for the Inquisitor outside the house, at the entrance of the garden. The twins were hoping up and down, and Cullen couldn’t deny their presence by his side was reassuring.

“Oh, oh! Is that him?!” Lola suddenly exclaimed, pointing a silhouette out.

Cullen recognized instantly the unmistakable silhouette of Falon, his huge antlers standing out in the horizon. He felt his heart beat faster with anticipation while the kids were squeaking excitedly. It was the first time they would see a halla and Falon was particularly tall.

They watched him approach, until the Inquisitor stopped next to them. He had a radiant smile and his eyes were sparkling when he rode down. But before he or Cullen could say anything, the twins rushed towards the Dalish:

“He is so huge!” Lola exclaimed, watching Falon. “He is so pretty! What is his name? Can I pet him?”

“You have drawings on your face, serrah,” Louis said quietly. “You can’t erase them?”

Aodren looked at Cullen briefly, who simply shrugged with a sorry smile, then kneeled in front of the children to be at their height.

“His name is Falon,” he answered patiently, his voice soft. “I’m sure he will be delighted to be petted by you, da’len. And indeed, the markings I wear can’t be erased, they are tattoos.”

The twins stared with round eyes, cooing. Cullen came closer, patting the kids’ shoulders.

“Why don’t you both go and tell your mum Aodren is here?”

They left immediately, running with enthusiasm to the house, even more excited now they had met the elf. Cullen sighed and Aodren got up with a laugh.

“Are all your guests welcomed like this?” he asked with a mischievous smile.

“Don’t mind them,” Cullen answered. “They’re the energetic kind of kids and they’re always happy to see people. You’re the first Dalish they meet, so expect to be harassed again once you’re inside.”

Aodren grinned, patting Falon who was apparently completely unbothered by what happened.

“It was unexpected, but your niece and your nephew are cute,” he said happily. “Hello, Cullen.”

The elf had never been forthcoming with signs of affection, except with very few people, so Cullen wasn’t prepared for the embrace the Inquisitor gave him. He quickly returned it though, the knot which was settled in his stomach a moment ago now instantly forgotten.

“I’m glad to see you again,” Cullen admitted when they pulled apart.

Aodren’s smile turned softer.

“Me too. It’s weird not to have you at Skyhold,” he said with a light tone. “But leaving did you good; you look much healthier and you seem happy.”

Cullen blinked slowly, taken aback. When Aodren had mentioned Skyhold, he had been ready to apologize, but now he just felt slightly off-balance. The Dalish chuckled silently, and Cullen cleared his throat a little bit awkwardly.

“Ah, hum, thank you… I hope your journey went well?”

“I stayed off the tracks as much as I could. I didn’t want to draw any attention to me, and it’s not quite easy with a halla.”

Falon snorted, shaking his antlers. Aodren grinned and Cullen came closer to pat the hart, laughing. He had really missed the both of them. The halla greeted him with a sniffling of his hand and a small lick.

“Shall we go?” he asked then, indicating the house with a slight movement of his head. “I should warn you, my sister is as enthusiastic about meeting you as her kids reunited.”

“Should I be worried?”

Cullen gave him a crooked grin and set off, Aodren walking next to him and Falon following right behind them.

“You definitively should. I think she prepared a whole list of questions, I have no idea how many pages she wrote. And she may have plotted to fatten you up, considering the amount of food she’s cooking. We have enough for at least three days.”

“I’m terrified. Even Corypheus didn’t manage to frighten me this much,” Aodren replied, his eyes twinkling.

Cullen laughed heartily. He led them to a paddock nearby the house, where a horse was already grazing. The animal raised his head to watch them as Aodren was taking his pack and the saddle cloth from Falon’s back.

“I hope Falon won’t mind some company,” Cullen said.

“He has far more patience than I, don’t worry.”

Given how Aodren had to put up with, well, everything the Inquisition had had to deal with, that was saying a lot. They watched the two animals meet, the horse sniffing the antlers before going back to the grass he was eating before they interrupted him.

“I suppose we can’t delay any longer” Aodren said with a smirk.

“I won’t be of any help, I’m afraid. After you, Inquisitor,” Cullen added, bowing slightly with a gesture of the hand and a mischievous sparkle in the eyes.

Aodren rolled his eyes and went past him. An amazing smell welcomed them as they entered the house. The elf barely had time to set down his bag that Lola and Louis were back, the young girl taking his hand with authority and pulling him with her.

“I want to show you the house! Can we show him the house?”

“Lola, let him breathe!” Mia intervened, a towel in one hand and a spatula in the other. “Set the table, we will have a look around after lunch.”

The kids disappeared once more, and Mia exhaled loudly.

“Oh Maker, I am so sorry.”

“There’s no offence. It’s nice to be greeted like this instead of weird looks or a sword at your throat.”

The Dalish winked. Cullen chuckled slightly: it was a common joke between the Inquisitor’s friends to recall the way Cassandra treated him in the first place. Mia opened her eyes wide.

“Maker, not in this house! Cullen’s friends are family,” she said seriously. “So, as apparently my brother won’t make the presentations; I am Mia. I’m happy to finally meet you, Aodren.”

This time, Aodren was the one to be taken by surprise by the embrace. He had a small embarrassed laugh and hugged Mia back. Next to him, Cullen folded his arms in front of himself and grinned.

“I warned you.”

“I’m happy to meet you too,” he answered sincerely. “Cullen told me a lot about you.”

Mia released Aodren only to take him by his arm to lead him to the kitchen.

“Oh, I’m sure he did. Now that we’re acquainted, I have _so many_ questions for you! Louis and Lola too, they’ve been speaking about you for days.”

They all gathered in the small room, Aodren and Cullen sitting while Mia got back to her cooking. The kids came back quickly and placed themselves on both sides of the elf, who gave them a gentle smile.

And then, the interrogation began.

Cullen remained mainly silent, listening to the others with attention. He already knew some of Aodren’s answers, and when Mia asked about their time at Skyhold, he joined in only to add small details he knew his niece and nephew would love to hear. When the meal was done, they went to the main room and took place around the table. There was a brief debate as to who would sit next to their guest, but apparently Aodren still remembered Josie’s diplomatic lessons.

“I’ll seat with your uncle if that’s okay with you, da’len,” he said to the kids. “And after lunch, I’ll tell you a Dalish story. Deal?”

And with that, Cullen knew the Inquisitor was now adopted for good.

The lunch went well. Mia was a fine cook, and she had obviously remembered Aodren was missing an arm, making something easy to pick. They resumed talking and Maker, how Cullen had missed listening to the elf’s storytelling.

They never had a lot of opportunities at Skyhold due to everything they had to deal with, but from time to time, they all managed to gather and talk, about anything. The best storytellers were Varric, of course, and Aodren. Keeper’s apprentice training, the Dalish used to say. And to think that without the dwarf, they would have missed that.

“What is a Keeper’s apprentice’s job, by the way?” he had asked one day.

“Keeping Dalish traditions and culture,” the Inquisitor had answered.

“So, you know stories, right?”

“Of course, songs too.”

“And why on Thedas didn’t you say that earlier?!” Varric had exclaimed, moving his hands quickly. “You’re a terrible person, Inquisitor, keeping all these to yourself and letting me alone to entertain our audience.”

Since then, the Herald had told them a few Dalish legends and tales, and apparently Louis and Lola loved them as much as they did, back at Skyhold.

After lunch, the twins grabbed Aodren to show him the house while Cullen and Mia were taking care of the dishes. They could hear the kids telling him about their games, the family horse, how they wanted to be explorers or monarchs; it was fun, and Aodren indulged them all along. Mia decided to free the elf from her children, arguing he was here for Cullen, and soon the two were outside for a walk, Cullen’s mabari with them. They chatted about small things, until Cullen finally asked:

“How are you doing? I mean, with the Inquisition and Solas,” he added.

“Things are not easy, but when were they ever?” the Dalish shrugged. “I knew dismantling the Inquisition would be hard, but it was necessary.”

“You never really wanted to be Inquisitor anyway, am I wrong?”

Aodren chuckled quietly.

“You’re right. I never intended to be the Inquisitor forever, but I would have stayed as long as it would have been necessary.”

Cullen glanced at him and then frowned, looking at the ground.

“We were lucky to have you,” he commentated. “And you’re still helping even though you could leave,” he added quietly.

The elf raised an eyebrow, slowing his pace. The mabari barked happily, his tail wagging, ready to play.

“What is this about?” Aodren asked, his tone more concerned.

Cullen inhaled sharply and turned to face him. He felt his throat tighten, but he had to say it out loud, for his own sake.

“I left. I could have helped; I _should_ have helped,” he said seriously. “Instead, I’m here, and-”

“Okay, stop,” Aodren interrupted harshly, raising his hand with authority. “I thought I had made it clear, but apparently you need to hear it again; so let’s do this once and for all.”

He came closer to the man, standing right in front of him, and placed a finger on his chest.

“You are an idiot,” he punctuated each word with a tap. “Yes, you could have helped, but you already have. Do I really need to remind you your time as my Commander?”

“I-,” he tried bravely, blinking.

“I’m not done yet!” Aodren shushed him. “Cullen, if anyone deserved to leave, it’s you. You deserved to be free of this mess, you deserved to be back with your family, and mostly you deserve to _live_. I was sincere when I said you looked better,” he added with a softer voice. “Let’s be clear, I miss you, we all do, but I’m glad you left, because you did what was good for you. So, no more apologies from now on, am I understood?”

Cullen nodded, and yeah, Aodren was right; he definitely needed to hear that. He gave him an embarrassed smile and murmured:

“Thank you.”

“No problem. I can remind you anytime that you’re an idiot, you just need to ask,” the elf winked.

They spent the rest of their walk playing with Caramel _(“You really called your mabari Caramel, didn’t you?”_ ) while Aodren was giving news from everyone. He was regularly talking with Dorian thanks to the enchanted amulet the Tevinter had given him at Halamshiral; and apparently the Chargers were making enough noise that he knew precisely where they were and what they were doing at any time. Cassandra was the same as usual, Varric was happy with Hawke at Kirkwall ( _“Well, the city is still there, right? It means they’re doing a pretty good job, I’d say.”_ ), Leliana was slowly changing things as the new Divine, etc., etc. When Cullen asked what brought him to South Reach, though, Aodren stayed evasive; maybe it was still too early to say anything specific.

Then the time came for Aodren to leave. The twins were sad, of course, and wouldn’t stop petting the halla. Mia embraced the elf tightly.

“It was really nice to meet you,” she said. “You’re welcome here any time! Maybe the next time you visit us you could stay a little longer, rather than leaving so soon.”

“Yes, please!!” Lola chirped in. “We can have a pyjama party!”

Louis nodded with enthusiasm, Caramel barked happily and Falon snorted.

“I would love that,” Aodren grinned. “It will be my first pyjama party.”

Cullen could bet everything he owned that the elf was now the kids’ favourite uncle even though he was not even part of the family. Aodren made his goodbye, put back the saddle cloth onto Falon’s back and turned to face Cullen.

“Well, it appears we are destined to see each other again soon,” he winked. “I now have a perfect excuse to visit again.”

“You don’t need any excuse to visit,” the man retorted with a smile.

“Good to know! Goodbye Cullen.”

They embraced each other and Aodren mounted Falon quickly, the halla ready to leave. Cullen watched them gallop away; he couldn’t wait until Aodren’s next visit.

**Author's Note:**

> The title of this fic comes from "Saturated Soul", a song by Imminence :)


End file.
